Here you will find mystery, murder and mayhem – plus a moment of romance. All the stories will make you stop and think, even question your role in the world and the universe. Just what are we doing here, and where are we going? Easy questions with problematic answers.

This anthology of sixteen short and thrilling tales of unusual, extraterrestrial and conspiratorial stories is the latest compilation from Clayton Graham, the author of science fiction novels Milijun and the soon to come Saving Paludis. The characters in this eclectic collection are mostly ordinary people whose reactions to their fears and to unexpected events will have you guessing at every turn of the page.

This collection is intriguing reading which, among many other things, encourages the reader to:

Sympathize with a doomed husband and connect with an altruistic robot. Explore an isolated Scottish isle and touch down on a far-flung asteroid.

From the light-hearted to the darkest depths of the human psyche you would be hard-pressed not to find something to like about Silently in the Night.

Many different visions of the future are within these pages. And as a bonus, there is an excerpt from the soon to be published Saving Paludis, which introduces the reader to two of the principal protagonists in this tale from the edge of mankind’s known universe in the year 3898AD.

If you love mystery with a hint of the paranormal, and the interplay of human foibles, grab this smorgasbord of short stories then get yourself a copy of Milijun, the mind-bending sci-fi novel by Clayton Graham.

A world people can connect with and characters with interesting problems.

Question 3) What inspired you to write your first book?

I liked how books could transport me as a child and wished that if I fell asleep with a book open, I would wake up in the world of the book. I incorporated that wish into my first novel.

Question 4) What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

Crazy. It’s an obsession really. When you HAVE to write, HAVE to get it out, you just spend every waking moment pouring it out to get it down and bring it to life. I spent about twelve hours a day for a week writing the complete draft of my first novel. Once I had the story complete in my mind, I felt I need to type it all up so the characters could breathe.

Question 5) What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I imagine my stories like films in my mind, complete with their own soundtrack. I create a playlist for each novel and repeatedly play it while I am writing the story. It helps inspire me and generate creativity.

Question 7) What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

I never imagined I’d be getting research tips from witchcraft groups, but I wanted to make that element of my story authentic so I did a lot of reading on a helpful witchcraft group’s page about natural remedies and spells.

Question 8) Do you have an excerpt from your current work you’d like to share?

From Beyond Farwin Wood:

Valerie couldn’t believe they were still reminiscing over names like two old-timers on a Sunday afternoon.

“Ahem,” she said, clearing her throat.

Ranthrop peered at the sky in thought. “No, it was Luther Ritchie, I think. Definitely a Ritchie though.”

“Hey!” she said, slapping each man’s chest. “I don’t care if it was Lionel Ritchie or Luther Vandross! Where are the boats?”

Varmeer fingered the crest on his tunic, his expression crumpled. “M’lady? The boats are just on yonder side of the pier. The men are readying them now. We know you mean to make haste.”

Valerie looked around, making sure she hadn’t missed a real vessel. All she found were the rustic concoctions of floating logs, two of them now with sails unfurled. Men continued loading the bundles of tents onto them.

“Those are not boats!” She jerked her thumb in the direction of the pier as she turned to face her guides.

Ranthrop stared at her like he was trying to solve algebra problems. Finally he queried, “Lady Valerie, I can assure you those are boats. Do your seafaring vessels in Blinney look so different?”

“Different?” she asked in a shrill voice. “Those are what homeless trappers take up river in a western movie, not something you take out into open waters full of sea monsters!”

Varmeer and Ranthrop exchanged befuddled looks. Wringing her hands, she paced back and forth. She had to think of Franci and not sea monsters. Franci and not timbers cracking beneath her feet or water sloshing around her ankles. Franci and not drowning.

Ranthrop gave his friend a telling look. “Varmeer, would you leave us please?”

Varmeer nodded, casting a curious glance at Valerie. When he was out of earshot, Ranthrop took her by the shoulders, halting her.

“The crossing troubles you, m’lady?”

“Troubles me? I’m terrified!”

Ranthrop noticed the uneasiness in her pretty gray eyes. It was different than what he’d witnessed on their way down the mountain.

“I can’t swim.”

His anxiety at her state burst like a bubble. He chucked as he tapped the underside of her chin with his index finger. “Is that what has you twisted? Have no fear. You won’t need to swim.”

“Why does everyone think that’s supposed to make me feel better? It’s still water. I can’t walk on it. Anything could happen.”

Question 9) What can we expect from you in the future?

A baby to start! My current and first pregnancy has delayed my next book release, No Death For the Wicked – A Trinity Missions Novel #2.

It’s the second instalment to my spy thriller series about a female covert operative and a reclusive mercenary. I am a “genre-jumper” so I don’t like to be boxed in, writing only one type of story. I am big into emergency management and hazard mitigation, so I’m excited about a utopian sci-fi I have planned. I try to contribute to BHC Press anthologies when I can, as well, because they have some awesome collections and concepts that I am proud to be a part of. My Blinney Lane fans continue to humble me with their support and demands for more, so I am not ruling out a third instalment of Blinney Lane just yet 😉

Question 10) What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

My writer’s desk. Ironically, I don’t always write at it, but it was a right of passage for me – something I promised to get myself when I reached one of my writing goals. So it signifies the success of my journey. I bought matching shelves for it where I dedicate space to books by other authors that I have been given, purchased, and reviewed. The only people as great as readers are writers and I’ve been blessed to meet so many wonderful fellow literary voices. It’s a nice reminder to know we have been a part of each other’s journeys.

Question 11) How can we contact you or find out more about your books?

My author website is www.dreadamara.com and forgive me for my nesting period and baby registry addiction, as it has fallen a bit to the wayside. However, I try to keep up with my blog JustAGirl with all kinds of literary and life tidbits: https://dreadamara.wordpress.com

Meet Mackenzie Flohr, award-winning YA Fantasy author, at the Davison and Goodrich High School’s Holiday Arts & Crafts Shows. She’ll be signing copies of her novel THE RITE OF WANDS and THE WHISPERED TALES OF GRAVES GROVE.

Today I’m fortunate to present Greg Jolley author of Murder in a Very Small Town.

Hi Greg, thanks for agreeing to this interview.

Greg Jolley (left) and Mackenzie Flohr (right)

Question 1) What part of the world do you come from?

Originally that oddest part of the world, California. These days, I’m enjoying the relative calm and sanity of Michigan.

Question 2) What do you think makes a good story?

No matter the genre, it’s the mystery and suspense; the what will the characters decide to do? It’s the dance of the characters, caught up in the conflicts between good and evil.

Question 3) What inspired you to write your first book?

Through childhood, I was an avid and compulsive reader. Somewhere in my mid-twenties, I asked myself, “Why not write one? Contribute to the world of stories.” As is almost a requirement of first novels, Distractions (1984) was partially a mirror game of what was happening in my life, which wasn’t as interesting to me as taking the first steps into learning and enjoying the art and craft of stories.

Question 4) What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I write seven days a week, starting at 5AM with espresso brewing. I am firmly seated in the school that holds to the craft model and find artistic expression and exploration within each day’s efforts.

Question 5) What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I over write and over research each novel. I’m also open to whatever means get the words and story into play. Sometimes that is typing into my iMac, but of late, it has been four blue line notebooks laid out side by side and a cup of Pilot V5 pens and colored pencils. I also carry a notebook everywhere, as the books continue to percolate throughout the day.

Question 6) Give us the title and genre of your latest book.

The latest book is Murder in a Very Small Town, in the suspense genre, where I’ve been living comfortable for the last few writes. I make the distinction between mysteries and suspense, grounded in exploring the dance between good and evil by sharing both the heroes and villains with the readers.

Question 7) What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

With the writing of Murder, I was delighted to work with another odd Danser family member, this time Wiki, a twenty-something gay, headstrong and feisty woman. She kept taking the story away from me to make it her own. Every time I knew she was going to turn left, she steered right, over the median, planting her boot on the accelerator and taking off into the uncharted.

Question 8) Do you have an excerpt from your current work you’d like to share?

Yes, of course. This is from chapter one of Murder in a very Small Town:

The truck pulled off slowly to the side and braked to a stop. Now Wiki had the view of her headlights glaring into the snow-swept road–the two beams illuminated heavy snowflakes falling at an angle. The steering wheel felt fluid in her small hands, and she slowed down again to five miles per hour. Snow was clouting the underside of the car and sometimes white waves crashed up over the hood. There were furrows out before the car, from prior vehicles, but they were becoming harder to see and stay within. Anxiety, perhaps fear, changed the pace of her breaths and chilled her palms on the wheel.

A highway sign appeared, lit by the white headlights. It read, Exit 143. No name of a town, just the distance to the exit.

Even from within her personal storm of shock and sadness, Wiki understood that she could not go on much further. She turned on the right-side blinker, something that in her normal life would have made her giggle, what with her being the only car for miles. She slowed some more and began to watch for the furrows to sway off to the right.

A single car-wide set of tracks continued into the narrow tunnel of the storm and Wiki turned off, staying within the white tire marks. The off-ramp was tree-lined and rose over a knoll, and there was a single yellow light swaying in the distance to her right. She rolled slowly down the other side of the hill and saw a tangle of cars, headlights, and movement. There was an accident at the base of the hill. Wiki lifted off the gas completely and began lightly braking the car. She was studying the scene a hundred yards away, feeling the car slowing and lazily wiggling its rear. The bridge supporting the trestle tracks was what changed everything.

The car felt like it somehow accelerated. It is also began to slide sideways. Wiki took the wheel tight in both hands. She tried more pressure on the brake pedal. The accident was less than forty yards away, and she could tell that her car was picking up speed as it slid down the snow-covered ramp.

Sara, the baby, and the heartbreak were forgotten. She could see two men working between three wrecked vehicles, prying on a door. Her hand went to the horn and stayed there, pressing it in a solid cry as she and the car slid closer and closer. Neither man seemed to hear or care about her approach. Not knowing what else to do, Wiki turned the wheel all the way to the right. The car stayed on its steady course for impact.

Ten yards away one of the men finally looked up, but there was no time to do anything more than that. Her car struck the two men and hit the wrecked cars. Wiki rebounded on the seat after clouting her head on the wheel, and the two cars spun slowly away and her car, now crushed in at the front, slid past. Her car stopped when it crashed into a third vehicle. This impact had more force as she had hit a large tow truck. Her temple hit the steering wheel again as her car finally stopped.

Wiki sat perfectly still, looking out around the raised hood of her car to the tow truck, ignoring the bump on her head, watching her wipers continue to brush snow from the windshield. She began to shake and could hear the storm wind and the damaged engine of her car.

She was sitting there staring out into the view when her door opened and a frigid blast of air and snow swept in. She turned and thought she saw a woman’s face close to her; the woman had cloth across her mouth and her head was deep inside a fur-lined parka hood.

“Lady, are you okay?” She heard, and thought it odd to be addressed as “Lady.”

The cold and wind coming in through the door jarred Wiki into the current moment. She turned her attention to the woman and nodded, “Yes?”

The woman’s glove pressed Wiki’s chin and turned her eyes to hers. “You better get out. Another car might come. Come on, take off your belt.”

Wiki heard and understood, but sat staring. Then she remembered her car striking the two men and that got her going. She unbuckled and climbed out, the wind whipping her heavy coat and summer dress and thin bare legs.

She looked back up the exit ramp to the two cars she had struck. Their headlights were shining in the blowing snow, and she saw a man staring at the chaos with his jaw dropped.

The woman had her arm around Wiki and turned her away toward the tow truck.

“We need to get inside,” the woman said, leading her to the passenger door of the large yellow vehicle. “There’s nothing we can do out here but freeze.”

“Should we call the police?” Wiki asked, feeling more and more in the moment.

The woman opened the door and climbed in first with her hand out to Wiki.

“Can’t call the sheriff,” the woman replied, waiting for Wiki to close the door.

“Why not?” Wiki asked. She turned on the seat and looked out to the accident.

“Because he’s under your car.”

Question 9) What can we expect from you in the future?

The sequel to Murder is in the brilliant and capable hands of my publisher, with a January 2018, release date. It is titled, Malice in a very Small Town and in it, Wiki Danser continues her war against madness and evil.

Question 10) What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

Hiring a professional editor for every book before it even reaches my publisher. I gladly go out of pocket for this invaluable service and expertise, working with brilliant and passionate editors who enrich each novel with substantive, line and copy revisions.

Question 11) How can we contact you or find out more about your books?